First, let me make it clear that
the channel "Ready to Harvest" isn't a heretic channel.[1] This channel simply
facilitates us to learn about Christian denominations[2], sects and sometimes cults.
The channel often conducts such interesting survey on various issues. I would
highly recommend this channel to you. Agreement and disagreement are your part.
Second, my concern is about ‘the
question’ and not ‘the channel’. The survey question is excellent as it helps
us to think intellectually, critically, philosophically and deeply. The channel
asked this question to collect merely opinions from Christians and sometimes even
non-Christians are encouraged to enroll. Thus, the channel equips Christians
with amazing questions that typical Christians had never thought in their mind.
Third, touching straight to the
question, it seems an attempt to dismiss necessity of Jesus to be God. It is an
escape approach from accepting something that is uncomfortable for the
particular questioner. We might have heard many queries such as "What
about those who never heard of Jesus?", "Why cannot we simply accept
Jesus as a good moral teacher rather than God?", "Why cannot Jesus be
one of many ways?" and so on. These questions simply try to dismiss the
necessity of accepting Jesus as the exclusive choice. The question has been targeted
at accepting Jesus as son of God, Messiah but not as God. The final concern is
then eternal life. Other escape approach questions from theological grounds can
be like, “What if a person has hydrophobia, how can s/he get baptized?”, “What
if a believer gets his memory lost? Will he lose his salvation?”, “How can a
believer in the Pentecostal church speak in tongues if s/he has no tongue at
all?” and so on. The only goal is to dismiss the necessity of a particular
theological execution in practical living. The question touches rather one of
the most fundamental doctrine important for salvation itself!
To be straightforward, eternal life
is fully connected with Jesus but it also matters which ‘Jesus’ (Jn. 1:12,
3:16, 10:10, 14:6). We can find many Jesus today in the market. Do you think
you will be saved by believing in Islamic Jesus or Jesus of the Bhavishya
Purana? Do you think believing a Yogic Jesus opens the gate of salvation to
your life? These all are false Jesus and you gain nothing except miserable
destruction at the end! Salvation is by grace but through faith (Eph. 2:8-9)
and it also matters where your faith is laid on, what you are believing and
how. If this isn't a serious case, why would have apostles, early church
fathers, reformers and even today Christian leaders are fighting hard against
heresy and cult?
The question is simply trying to
avoid believing Jesus as God. The question is presupposing Jesus as a different
being apart from God! From my point of view, the question is committing
categorical fallacy. Does the questioner really know what is the meaning of Son
of God? The identification of Jesus is incomplete without the Trinity and also the
Jewish cultural context. "Son of God" itself is a bold claim of
divinity (Jn. 10:30-33). If we are supposed to believe Jesus, who isn't even
God, for salvation or eternal life then the question is: salvation isn't from
God but someone else whom he created or beget?[3] And how much is it
appropriate to pray, give glory and reverence to a being who isn't even God (1
Cor. 1:2, 12:3, Acts 7:54:60, 1 Pet. 3:15, Heb. 12:2, Jn. 1:14, 5:23, 14:14, 20:28,
Isa. 42:8, Phil. 2:9-11, Matt. 28:18, Col. 2:9, etc.)? That's an idolatry. If
we think God used some other being to offer us salvation then it concludes that
God himself cannot redeem and insufficient (Jonah 2:9, Psalms 3:8, etc.). However,
the confusion regarding Jesus making himself distinct from Father might bring
up this question. That's the reason, doctrine of Trinity is vital.
If anyone who can just believe
everything about Jesus except that he is God is indeed dismissal of the entire
Gospel. A person who isn't even God, New Testament is commanding to revere him,
follow him, honour him and glorify him? That's theologically idolatry and
blasphemy against God. The question is making Jesus a separate being. Now the
question is, what and who is Jesus? If he isn't God then what does Son of God
mean? If Jesus is a literal Son of God then how can this idea fit into Biblical
monotheism? This leads to serious problem about identification of Jesus. This
leads to erratic interpretation of his deeds. Ultimately there is no way to
eternal life.
The scripture clearly declares
Jesus as God and this should never bother us. If Jesus isn't God, not even a
pinch of salvation is possible from him. Otherwise, God could have used
prophets! Why so much drama for millennium years? If Jesus is a separate being
as Child of God then this creates serious problem for Biblical monotheism. This
is problem even for Divine Council theology[4] as it isn't polytheism.
Thus, the questioner is expecting to have an eternal life by compromising a
serious Biblical truth that is essential for salvation to work in effect?
These kinds of attempts have been tremendously
made by New Agers and many modern enlightenment movements. Don't just have
faith, the object and knowledge of it where our faith attaches also matters!
The bottom line is clear: Nobody can believe Jesus forgetting what He claimed -
I and the Father are one.
References:
Neutral Point of View Is Wrong, 2021. Accessed October 19,
2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCrepTa3YcY.
The
Divine Council,
2019. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1rai6WoOJU.
What
Is a Denomination?,
2022. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoIxwiyetbQ.
Why
the Trinity Is Necessary,
2015. Accessed July 21, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRmIKU9e3FY.
[1] Neutral
Point of View Is Wrong, 2021, accessed October 19, 2022,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCrepTa3YcY.
[2] What
Is a Denomination?, 2022, accessed October 19, 2022,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoIxwiyetbQ.
[3] Why
the Trinity Is Necessary, 2015, accessed July 21, 2022,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRmIKU9e3FY.
[4] The
Divine Council, 2019, accessed October 19, 2022,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1rai6WoOJU.
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